Pretty, Pretty Puzzle
by Siephe
Summary: An accident in potions, oddly enough, places Harry in the tender care of one Draco Malfoy. Will Harry be able to survive the experience? Or rather, the question should be, will Draco? HPDM SLASH!
1. Prologue

**Pretty, Pretty Puzzle**

**Prologue**

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_"… And do you remember that time we managed to slip a bit of rat's dung into Snivellus's cauldron and it blew up? The greasy git was covered in pink slime," Sirius said, as he and James reminisced. Lily simply rolled her eyes as her husband and his best friend remembered their past pranks._

_"Ah… those were the good Marauder days…" James sighed, tucking Lily's hands into his own. Sirius smiled. Even in death, James loved Lily._

_"Sirius, I'm so glad we could see you again," Lily said, smiling sadly. Sirius laughed nervously. Why did he get the feeling that something was going to happen? _

_"Why do I get the feeling that something's going to happen?" he asked out loud. _

_Lily and James glanced at each other. James looked a bit sad. _

_"Sirius…The thing is, is that you're… You're not dead," James said._

_"What? What do you mean? I'm here; you and Lily are here…What do you mean I'm not dead? I fell through the veil!" Sirius asked, puzzled. _

_"Yes, you fell through the veil. But you aren't dead, not yet. If you stay here any longer than you'll no longer be able to go back to the world of the living. Haven't you noticed that you don't look as… transparent as we do?" Lily said. _

_Sirius glanced at himself and then back at the Potters. Lily was right. He did look more solid than the couple. _

_"But what if I don't want to go back to the living world? What if I want to stay here with you guys?" Sirius asked, panicking. How could James not want to be with him? They were the best of best friends! It was James and his parents who took him in when his own mother disowned him for being a traitor or so Mrs. Black said. _

_James sighed unhappily. He hated this. "I wish you could stay here too –"_

_"Then why can't I!" _

_"Because you can still return to the world of the living. Lily and I can't."_

_"Then —"_

_"Have you forgotten about Harry? Your godson? Or what about Remus? I bet Remus is heartbroken about you. And I know Harry is blaming himself for your death," Lily reminded him. She looked like she wanted to cry. How she missed her Harry! She wanted to be able to hug him, to hold him and comfort him and to wipe away his tears. Though she was dead, the feelings to mother him had not gone away. _

_Sirius's face paled considerably and his eyes widened in shock. "Remus…" How could he have forgotten? He had been too obsessed with being able to see James again that it had completely slipped his mind. Feelings of guilt flooded him. _

_James smiled grimly. "You can't stay here yet. You have to go. I wish I could go too. It would be great to be able to see my son…I wish I could go to one of his Quidditch matches…And I wish I could talk to Remus again, but that isn't possible for us. We're dead. But you aren't. And I want you to look after Harry for us, since we can't," the man said, sadly. _

_"But…" Sirius protested weakly._

_"Please, Sirius. Please look after Harry for me," Lily pleaded. Sirius couldn't find the heart to refuse Lily's sad, pleading eyes. Sighing dejectedly, he nodded._

_"I'm sorry Sirius. I wish I could spend more time with you, but too much time has already passed. Already you're becoming transparent like we are. And once you reach our state, you'll never be able to go back to the world of the living. You have to go," James said, pained. _

_"But how do I get out of here?" _

_"Don't worry. We'll show you the way. Come," Lily said, walking on an unseen path. _

_"Do you even know where we're going? I mean, all there is here is white, white and more white," Sirius asked, puzzled. _

_James laughed. "Well, it's good that you see that. But for us dead, it's different. At least we know for sure that your time isn't up yet. It's why nobody has been able to leave this place once they fall through the veil. It's because to them, everything is the same, and no one can see back to the doorway."_

_"But you have us to guide you out, so you'll be fine," Lily said. After a few moments, the couple stopped and Sirius stopped with them. _

_"We're here," James said. Sirius felt like the world was slipping from under him. Did he truly have to leave them? He didn't want to. But at the same time, his heart was calling out for Remus and to Harry. _

_"I don't see anything." But as soon as the words left his mouth, a door-less frame appeared. "Cliché," he muttered. "Let me guess, I just step through that and then I'll find myself back in the world of the living?" _

_James laughed and nodded. Then the seriousness of the moment came back and his smile disappeared. It was difficult for him to tell his friend to go, but he had to. _

_"I'm sorry… I couldn't help you. I should've never thought to change the secret keeper…" Sirius apologized, feeling years and years of guilt. _

_Lily smiled sadly. "It's alright Sirius. It's not your fault. We don't blame you at all. Just… look after Harry for me? Please?" _

_"Couldn't refuse you for the world," Sirius said, giving her a charming smile._

_"Yeah, and say hello to Remus for us and say that we miss him lots. And tell him to hang in there strong." _

_"And Sirius…" Lily hesitated a moment, "…Tell Harry that no matter who he falls in love with, no matter who he ends up with, we'll support him no matter what. And tell him that we'll love him no matter what his decisions are." _

_James and Sirius looked at her quizzically. "Do you know something I don't?" James asked, puzzled. Lily looked at him with an impish smile._

_"Since when do I don't know something you don't?" she said._

_"Hey!" James protested and Sirius laughed. "You know who Harry's going to end up with, don't you! You and your Seeing powers!" Lily nodded. _

_"Who is it?" James asked. Lily whispered into his ear. James's eyes widened in surprise._

_"Him? Are you sure?" Lily glared at her husband. She had Seen it and what she Saw was never wrong. "Well alright… But still. Him! Of all the people… It just has to be him." Lily glared at James once more. "Well alright, if that's who Harry loves, then I'll support him, no matter what," he said wincing. "But it will take time getting used to."_

_Lily sighed. Well, better than nothing. "So you will tell him, Sirius?"_

_Sirius nodded. "But come on Lily, tell me, who is it? It's a guy, right?" _

_Lily nodded. Sirius shrugged. He had no problems with homosexuals. After all, if he did, he'd have a pretty big case of hypocrisy. _

_"Come on Lily, spill. Who is it?"_

_Lily shook her head. "No, I'll have to let you find out for yourself. I'm sure you'll find out soon enough, anyway. It'll probably come as a big surprise too. But, Sirius, will you promise me that you'll try your best to support Harry too?" _

_Sirius pouted like a kid. "Yeah I will," he said at last._

_"Thanks Sirius." _

_"I guess is the part where we hug and cry and kiss and I step through that door frame like some Muggle movie, right?" Sirius said, smiling weakly. He was trying not to cry. _

_James laughed sadly and nodded. He pulled his best friend into a hug, knowing it would be a long time before they would be able to meet again. _

_"We'll see each other again. I promise," James said, letting his friend go so he could hug Lily. _

_"Yeah, and I'll try to do force Remus into coming with me and Harry to do Marauder things," Sirius said, trying to lighten the mood. _

_James laughed. Lily tried to frown with disapproval, but she couldn't help the smile. _

_"It's time," she said after a short while. "You have to leave; otherwise you'll be trapped here forever." _

_Sirius nodded. With a final look of farewell to his best friends, he turned to face the large, imposing doorframe. _

_Taking a deep breath, Sirius stepped forward. Through the doorway… And back to life. _

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**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter and all of its characters don't belong to me. I've just simply borrowed them for this story.


	2. Chapter 1

**Pretty, Pretty Puzzle**

**Chapter One**

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Harry liked both his best friends. After all, Ron and Hermione had been there for him through so many things. And they had stood by him through many things. And so when the two got together, he couldn't help but feel happy for them.

But truthfully, Harry felt lonely. What could he do? He didn't want to intrude on his two best friends who were blissfully happy together. After all, it wasn't as they still didn't do things together, but Harry still felt a bit left out. And it hadn't helped at all that both Ron and Hermione had been made prefects this year.

Which was why Harry was currently sitting alone in the last compartment on the train to Hogwarts. Sighing a bit dejectedly, he turned towards the window.

He missed Sirius something fierce. He still felt guilty about the whole ordeal, despite what everyone kept telling him… He couldn't help it! If only he had _thought_ before he acted, then maybe… Harry shook his head and blinked to keep the tears from spilling from his eyes.

Closing his eyes, Harry took off is glasses and forced himself not to think of those things. He couldn't change the past, not unless he had a Time Turner, but he wouldn't be able to get his hands on one of those. No. The best thing to do was to look ahead and to think of a plan for _revenge._

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It felt strange without his two cronies flanking him, but Draco Malfoy didn't mind the least. In fact, he was grateful. It was refreshing not having to deal with such stupid people. Malfoy grimaced inwardly at the remembrance of _them._

Instead, at his side, were Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson, who were currently chatting gravely about the current situations.

"… so Crabbe and Goyle are gone. Theodore Nott is still here," Pansy whispered.

"But what about all the other Slytherins? There are still a lot of them left. Do we know who belongs to whom?"

"I don't know. It depends on this year's sorting. I know there are a few of them in the younger years. Not many, but a few. With _Him_ back, there have been new followers. Bloody idiots, the lot of them," Pansy muttered darkly.

"What about that friend of yours, Millicent Bulstrode?" Blaise asked.

"I'm not sure. I've only sent a few owls to her during the summer. Father himself hasn't said too much of the Bulstrodes… And I haven't seen her yet. I don't think she's coming back."

"No, she isn't. Her parents have fled to France. I think they've sent her to Beauxbatons. That's what I heard Father say anyway," Draco added in.

"By the way, shouldn't you two be on the train with the rest of the prefects?" Blaise asked, glancing at the prefects badge on Draco and Pansy's shirt.

Draco shook his head. "Dumbledore excused us from having to go. We've already been instructed on what to do, anyway."

Finally arriving at the last compartment on the train – the other ones had been full, Pansy pushed the door open and the trio was surprised to see that the last compartment wasn't empty like they thought. More surprising was the fact that the only occupant in the compartment was a silently sleeping Harry Potter.

"What's _he_ doing all by himself?" Pansy whispered, surprised. The group of three entered the compartment, careful not to disturb the sleeping boy.

"Didn't you know? Granger and the Weasel were made prefects this year. Though why Weasel was made prefect is beyond me. I'm surprised Potter wasn't made one," Draco answered, sneering.

Once upon a time, Draco wouldn't have hesitated to hex the sleeping boy, but times had changed. _Loyalties_ had changed.

During the time that Lucius Malfoy, along with others had been caught back at the Ministry, by none other than the boy in front of Draco, Dumbledore had been force to reveal his cards to the pathetic excuse for a Minister of Magic.

Lucius Malfoy, and the Zabini family and the Parkinsons, were spies for the Order of the Phoenix.

Of course, it hadn't always been like that, quite the contrary. Lucius Malfoy had been loyal to the Dark Lord when he had risen from his fallen glory. It was true that he had promised loyalty to the Dark Lord the night that he had come back. But it was a while later that the Dark Lord had made a grave mistake to lose the loyalty of one of his most loyal supporters.

Despite being the bastard that he was, Lucius Malfoy had two weaknesses – Narcissa Malfoy and Draco Malfoy, both whom he loved dearly, even though it didn't show.

A short while after the return of the Dark Lord, the Dark Lord summoned all his supporters. Those who had wives or husbands were also to join his ranks and to take the mark.

Lucius didn't really like the idea of his wife becoming part of his circle. He liked the thought of his wife staying outside of these matters and being the perfect lady. Ladies did not go on bloody rampages. And ladies didn't sport dark skulls on their arms.

And of course, Narcissa absolutely agreed with this thought. And the truth was that she, Narcissa Black turned Malfoy was loyal to only her husband, Lucius Malfoy and of course, her son. She loved her sister Bellatrix, but that did _not_ mean that she would follow her sister in any direction she took. But however, a proper lady was supposed to be loyal to her husband and of course, the heir to the family. And if the heir and the patriarch of the family were in discord, well then the mother was to always stick to the heir.

It was tradition. A rather strange tradition that wasn't known to Muggles, but it was tradition nevertheless. And if there was one thing that Narcissa Malfoy and Lucius Malfoy upheld, it would have to be tradition.

So when the Dark Lord decided to add the spouses of his Death Eaters into the ranks of his supporters, Lucius was alright with that. Not pleased, but not so furious as to defy his master. But, the thought of that tattoo on his lovely Narcissa's pale skin did irritate him quite a bit. Nevertheless, it wasn't enough to provoke Malfoy Sr.

Despite knowing Narcissa's distaste for marring the flesh, Lucius Malfoy was still surprised that night, as with other Death Eaters, when Narcissa stepped up to the Dark Lord to receive the Mark. Since she was the wife of the most prominent Death Eater, she had the honour of going first.

But none of the Death Eaters present, alongside with their spouses would've ever thought that Narcissa had the courage to stand up against the Dark Lord's wishes. The moment would last in their minds for all eternity.

_"Narcissa Malfoy…" _the Dark Lord had hissed with approval at what he saw before him. He saw a very beautiful woman, a Slytherin through and through. He saw a shrewd, cunning mind with selective tastes, refined tastes, to be precise. Yes, Narcissa was quite a lady who knew how to use words and non-physical means to achieve her goals. _"Tonight you will be the first of many to be welcomed amongst our ranks…Will you take the Mark and become one of my loyal followers?" _It had been more a command than a question.

Narcissa had nodded demurely, bowing her head, not meeting the gaze of the Dark Lord, as that would be improper to do. _"Yes my Lord. I shall gladly become one of your loyal followers."_

The Dark Lord did not miss the fact she had omitted to taking the Mark. His snakelike eyes darkened. _"You will not take the Mark?"_

Without missing a beat, Narcissa had replied smoothly. _"I would, my Lord, but the mark would look quite terrible in my formal robes. I imagine there will be times when my Lord does not require me to take upon his tasks, and I must spend those times being the socialite. A visible Mark would not do with my formal robes." _

Lucius had tensed at that moment, fearing what his Lord would do after hearing his wife's reply. Instead the words of a curse coming out from Lord Voldemort's mouth were a laugh. It was a harsh and cruel laugh, but amusement could be heard throughout it.

Lucius released the breath he had been holding. This was good, so far. It meant at the very least that the Dark Lord was not displeased. He would have to talk to his beloved wife after this. Defying the Dark Lord was not a pleasant thing.

_"Very well, Narcissa. There are other ways that you can be marked without it being visible… to the public," _Lord Voldemort had said with a slight sneer. It was a blessing that Narcissa was already pale to start with, otherwise the fact that all the blood had left her face would've been quite visible. _"You shall stay afterwards the Meeting."_ And with that dismissal, Lord Voldemort turned his attention towards the other spouses of the Death Eaters.

That night, when the meeting was over, Lucius had returned to his mansion, grateful that Draco wasn't there. He was worried about his wife, and he hadn't liked the look that the Dark Lord had given to Narcissa. He paced agitatedly in his study, waiting for the return of his wife.

And he had waited, and waited, and then waited some more. It wasn't until nearly the approaching dawn that Narcissa had returned to the Malfoy Mansion. The moment she saw her husband, she collapsed in his arms, sobbing in apology for what had happened.

In all the years that he had known Narcissa, never had he seen her lose her composure the way she had. And when he saw the marks over her pale and petite body, he instantly knew what the Dark Lord had done. And he saw red. Blood red.

Oh, those marks would fade over time. But the magic that had been infused during what had happened to create those marks bonded her to the Dark Lord were just as strong as the magic that was used to create the Dark Marks. And then there was the fact that his wife, the person he loved dearly, was violated, not once, not twice but several times in the period of one night was bad enough to drive him over the edge.

And it was then that Lucius Malfoy decided that he'd had enough. The Dark Lord had to pay and if it meant turning to that old Muggle lover Dumbledore, well then he would do it.

And so he had.

Though Draco didn't know the whole story behind why his father decided to switch sides, he did guess that it had something to do with his mother. And whatever had happened, Draco was relieved. He didn't want to be a Death Eater. He was a Slytherin and Slytherin bowed down to nobody but themselves. And least of all not an insane half-blood madman waving a wand.

And the Dark Lord was indeed crazy. He had already done so much to piss off quite a few of his strongest and of course, most sane followers. Not that they could leave his services, but these Death Eaters gave their services to the Light, knowing that no matter which side they were, their lives were in danger.

Draco eyed the dark-haired boy in front of him. He took in the features of the sleeping boy. The boy hadn't grown all that much over the years. True, he was taller than before, but he was still a lot smaller than Draco. In fact, the boy looked almost underfed.

His glasses hung precariously on the edge of his nose. Draco took in the way that his mouth was slightly opened, and the way his chest rose in a steady rhythm, and of course the messy, messy hair that was almost a trademark of the Gryffindor. Except before it was an I-don't-know-what-a-comb-is-for type of messy hair, but now it was more of an I-just-got-back-from-the-shag-of-my-life type of hair. And it looked quite appealing on the Gryffindor. Draco supposed that it was the best change in the black-haired boy.

Draco shook his head from thinking about Potter. There was one main reason that Draco didn't want to become a Death Eater. And that reason was that he just had to fancy the bloody Boy-Who-Just-Wouldn't-Die.

Sitting next to Potter, Pansy observed the small motion her friend made and smiled. She knew of Draco's preferences and his attraction to the dark-haired boy. It didn't make her angry in the very least. She had no intention of marrying Draco, especially since she had a thing for a certain dark haired professor. In fact, she never did have a thing for Draco and it had all been a pretense. And she had no intension of becoming a Death Eater either – the whole Mark thing and the robes and mask were terrible fashion sense. Pansy didn't think she could ever serve someone who had such _terrible_ fashion sense. Besides, the Dark Lord had killed her darling older brother in a temporary rage and she and her family couldn't possibly forgive him.

"The poor boy… Look at him! He's all skin and bones," Pansy said, in a mothering tone. Malfoy smirked. Pansy would've made a wonderful mother, despite appearances.

Blaise ignored the two, he knew what Pansy was up to and he didn't want to get mixed up in it. Oh, he was good friends with the two, but he was also smart enough not to get in Pansy's way when she had her sight set on something. And that something was somehow doing the impossible and getting Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter together.

"I don't know how you could possibly fancy him, Drakie darling," the Slytherin girl continued. Draco glared at her.

"Shut up," he said tersely. Pansy simply smiled sweetly.

"Touchy aren't we?"

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When Harry woke up from his slumber, the first thing he noticed, well heard really, were voices that didn't sound anything remarkably like his Gryffindor friends. In fact, these voices sounded familiar.

_Slytherins._ Feigning sleep, Harry decided to listen in on their conversation.

"Honestly Drakie darling! Just make a stupid move on him –" _A move? On who? Me?_

"I refuse to. I absolutely refuse to. You know it very well isn't possible for _that, _for what I want." _Did Malfoy sound… almost regretful? _

What was going on? Clearly this did not sound like the Malfoy and Slytherins that Harry knew.

"What do you mean it's not possible? Of course it is! And it's not like there's anything to stop you now, since your father's been revealed as a spy as it is." Pansy sounded exasperated.

_What? Lucius Malfoy was a spy?_ Harry was more and more confused now. And the school year hadn't even started yet!

"Come on Blaise… Give me a hand here."

Blaise remained the clever Slytherin and stayed silent. Pansy huffed in irritation. "Stupid boy," she muttered darkly.

Harry sworn Malfoy was smirking. "Watch out Pansy, dear, your retorts are getting _so_ much cleverer."

"Shut up Drakie-poo!" Harry found it hard to keep up his pretense.

"Parkinson, what have I told you about calling me _that_?"

"But Drakie darling, it annoys you so!" Draco glared.

"Thank God I don't have to marry you," the blond-haired boy muttered.

Pansy laughed. "And that I don't have to marry you either. You may have very nice clothes, but really it just wouldn't suit my purpose."

A lapse in the conversation ensued. Pansy once more glanced at the sleeping boy next to her.

"The poor, poor boy… He's so awfully small. Doesn't he ever eat anything?"

Draco snorted – gracefully, as a Malfoy doesn't do anything that isn't. "_Potter_ eats like a half-starved man. The only person who could possibly be worse than him is that Weasel."

The corners of Pansy's mouth lifted to a smile. Draco probably hadn't realized it, but the way he said Potter's name sounded like a caress.

Harry shivered as tingles ran up his spine. Pansy wasn't the only person who had noticed the way Malfoy had said his name. And Harry was now more confused than ever. He decided that he should probably 'wake up'.

Letting out a soft moan, Harry blinked a few times until his eyes adjusted to the settings around him. The first thing he noticed was a set of stormy blue-grey eyes peering at him. Harry was startled to realize they belonged to Malfoy and even more startled at the fact that they held no hate, no venom in them.

"What are you doing _here,_" Harry asked. He was surprised at the fact he managed to keep his voice emotionless. Apparently, so were the Slytherins.

"I'm sitting here, it's obvious enough, _Potter_," no hint of the something else this time, "Or were you too stupid to even figure that out for yourself?" Draco drawled. "Poor, poor Potter, without Granger around, you're even worse than Longbottom."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "_Why_ are you here," he emphasized on the why.

"It's a free world, Potter. And I'm a Malfoy. I'll go where I please," was the reply.

Harry snorted. "And aren't we sure pompous and arrogant as usual, today." Then with a softer voice, barely audible, he muttered, "… And it's not a free world… Not thirteen years ago and not now."

Pansy and Blaise exchanged worried glances. For the rest of the train ride, Harry was left alone. Not that he minded, of course.

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Severus sighed as he trudged drudgingly along towards the Great Hall. Another school year was about to start and another year of idiotic brats to teach. He could already feel the onslaught of headaches he was about to receive. At the moment, he could already hear the sounds of the carriages approaching; the first years would take a while before they arrived at the castle.

Despite all his complaints and pretenses, Severus Snape enjoyed his job. One could almost say he liked it. He loved making potions, loved the careful steps, the subtleness to it and the precision it took to brew a potion correctly. And his job allowed to him to work with potions constantly. And it wasn't to be denied that Severus Snape was one of the best potion masters out there. And he didn't hate teaching his knowledge to people – he loved to share his love of potions. He just happened to hate teaching idiotic brats who had no patience for it. Of course, once in a while an exception would come along, but that was rare.

Upon reaching the door to the Great Hall, he heard his name being called and turned to see some of his favourite students. He nodded in reply as his eyes scanned over Blaise who looked indifferent, Draco who looked pleased to see his godfather and to Pansy who was happily waving to him.

Pansy. A pretty puzzle for him to solve. She looked so much like _her_. So much that Severus was haunted by memories every time his eyes landed on his student. On the outside, they were so much alike, yet on the inside, their personalities were so different.

But still… Pansy reminded him so much of _her_… So much that it hurt sometimes.

Without looking back, Severus Snape stepped into the Great Hall and tried hard to push back the memories that wouldn't be buried deep, deep into his head.

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"We're so sorry for leaving you alone, Harry," Hermione apologized for the umpteenth time so far. Ron nodded with his new girlfriend. Harry just grinned.

"I told you already, it's fine." Still, Hermione still had a slightly guilty expression on her face. Harry suspected the two had been doing something that didn't have a single thing to do with prefect duties. He couldn't help but feel a little sad at that.

As Ron and Hermione chatted on, Harry tuned their voices out and concentrated on his food. For some reason, however, Harry felt like he was being watched. Unconsciously, out of habit, Harry lifted his head up and found himself looking at Malfoy, meeting the blonde's eyes for the merest of seconds before Malfoy turned his head to the side to talk with Parkinson.

But it was long enough for Harry to catch some emotion in the usually emotionless Slytherin. _Strange…_

Malfoy was confusing this year. Harry didn't think he even recognized the blonde anymore. Such a puzzle… Such a pretty, pretty puzzle.

Harry froze. Where on earth had _that_ thought come from?

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_Like? No like? Comments would be appreciated! _


	3. Chapter 2

**Pretty, Pretty Puzzle**

**Chapter 2**

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After the feast was finished, all the students returned to their dormitories. Harry found himself grinning while he and his roommates were unpacking their trunks.

"… And Gran bought me a new pet since Trevor died. It's only a Pygmy Puff but Gran said that I probably wouldn't be able to handle anything else," Neville said, showing off his furry pet, who he had named Custard. "Bought it at Fred and George's shop down in Diagon Alley," the boy said with a grin towards Ron.

Ron, despite being slightly jealous of his two brothers, didn't mind that they were getting good business. After all, the twins had given him so much ever since, including a nice set of dress robes.

"So how was your summer, Harry? Did the Dursleys do anything to you? We're really sorry you couldn't come over to the Burrow. Mum nearly threw a fit at Dumbledore before she remembered who she was talking to," Ron said, a look of regret on his face, and amusement to.

Harry shook his head. "It's alright… The Dursleys left me alone for the most part, and Aunt Petunia was pretty tolerable."

In fact, Aunt Petunia had almost been… kind to him. Something had happened during the school year, Harry was sure of it. He just didn't know what. But it didn't matter anyway.

During the summer, Dursley had taken Dudley out on a trip for some 'man-to-man, father-to-son' bonding. At first Dudley had complained, but after a bit of 'persuasion' Dudley went along with it, leaving Harry and Aunt Petunia in the house.

Aunt Petunia had mostly left him alone, but then on one occasion, she had asked him to help her with her garden, which due to the terrible heat that had been going around lately, was dying.

It was in these moments in the garden which Harry didn't mind horribly that he learned the most about Aunt Petunia than he had during his whole life. And in return, Aunt Petunia realized things about her nephew that she had never even noticed before.

During those times working in the garden, they had actually been civil to each other. The time had mostly passed in silence, but once in a while, there would be a little bit of conversation. But this little bit of conversation was quite enlightening to both parties.

Indeed Aunt Petunia's attitude towards Harry had changed greatly. Proof of this was when Harry had performed accidental magic on her plants, and all she did was give a small hint of a smile of approval when the dying plants became healthy plants once more.

This thought reminded Harry that he needed to talk to Dumbledore about that bit of accidental magic he had done. He didn't even have his wand in his hand at the time – it had been left upstairs in the drawer on his night table. The magic had simply come out from his hands, so to speak, in a green glow that was rather like the green glow of the Avada Kedavra, but instead of bringing death, it brought something that had been much more pleasant.

"Well that's a relief then," Ron said, letting out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

Dean had just finished taping up a new poster of his favourite soccer team, and Seamus just scowled at the unmoving players. Dean just simply laughed and Neville just simply yawned and stretched.

Conversations went on for a while before the boys finally got ready for bed. Harry fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, and dreamt of a pair of stormy blue-gray eyes, though he couldn't tell you why for the life of him.

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The following weeks were hectic for the sixth years, or so it seemed. They were buried in piles of homework from various teachers. Harry and Ron were doubly grateful that Hermione was their friend because the girl was invaluable help. Despite not letting the boys copy her homework, they still managed to get theirs finished with the girl's help.

Harry was especially busy, with his Quidditch Captain duties and his private lessons. He had gone to Dumbledore and it had turned out that the green glow had actually been healing magic, and quite powerful too if he hadn't needed a wand to control it. So Harry was now getting private lessons on healing with Madam Pomfrey and lessons on wandless magic with Dumbledore himself.

But that wasn't all. Ever since Sirius's death, Harry had berated himself for not learning Occlumency well. And hence, after a potion lesson, he had lingered to talk with Professor Snape. And the result was that the two had come to a grudging truce and Snape was returning to his dreaded task of teaching Harry Occlumency. And after the boy had mastered that, he would teach him Legilimency.

Though they weren't the best of chums, they did get along civilly enough, with only the random snarl now and then. It didn't mean Snape was nicer to him in anyway, especially not in potions class or anywhere else for that matter, but at the very least, Snape was kind enough not to target the memories that hurt the most… especially the memories of _Sirius…_

With three extra lessons to do, and Quidditch added to his homework pile, Harry was quite the busy boy. On Mondays, Harry had Occlumency with Snape. Tuesdays and Thursdays were spent on Quidditch, Fridays were for spent with Dumbledore on his wandless magic lessons and Sunday nights and the odd free period or two were spent with Madam Pomfrey in the infirmary.

Healing, like flying, was something that Harry seemed to be a natural at. It was a wonder he hadn't displayed his powers earlier, but magic could work in funny ways sometimes. But even being a natural and having pretty strong healing magic, it turned out to being able to call out that magic by will wasn't as easy as it seemed. But Harry didn't mind, because like Quidditch, Harry found that he enjoyed it quite a lot.

It was so much different from all the killing he had seen, and all the deaths. And knowing that he had the power to heal was a comforting thought… Perhaps after this, he would be able to help so many more, to save many more people. He hoped so. And so he tried his best during his lessons and sometimes he'd practice outside of lessons in hopes to improve his skill.

"Man… I'm beat," Ron said as he and the rest of the Quidditch team returned from their practice. Though Quidditch season was still a while away, Harry decided that they should start training early, especially since they had new members.

One thing that Harry had been delighted with was the fact that Ron's keepers skills had improved vastly over the summer, along with Ron's confidence in his skills. And now Harry didn't have to worry so much about his best friend during a match with the Slytherins there.

Harry nodded, in agreement with his best friend. "Merlin's beard! We still have that Transfiguration essay to do…" Harry said weakly.

Ron paled. "Blimey, I forgot all about that… Do you think Hermione would let us copy off of her?" Harry just simply looked at the redhead.

"Didn't think so. And to think, when I asked her out…" Ron said, just as they entered the Gryffindor common room.

"Ronald Weasley, I do hope that wasn't why you asked me out," came the voice of one Hermione Granger. Ron flinched slightly before grinning at the sight of her.

"Of course not 'Mione," he said. Hermione simply smiled in return.

"I hope you both realize that you both haven't finished your Transfiguration essay yet –"

"We know 'Mione," Harry groaned.

Putting their brooms away, Harry and Ron set to work on their Transfiguration essay with much difficulty. Finally, Hermione couldn't resist and ended up helping the two with a dramatic sigh.

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Harry raced through the corridors in a rush to get to class. He had just been to the infirmary to treat a burn that he got during Herbology and his next class, unfortunately happened to be Potions and just because he and the potions master had some of truce didn't mean that the man didn't enjoy taking off points from Harry for the slightest reason.

Actually, Harry was already late, and Harry knew that he was going to get points taken off. Harry just didn't want to be later than he already was.

Finally he arrived at the Potions class, slightly out of breath. Despite his small stature, he was in fit, thanks to Quidditch. And he was stronger than he looked, but that was a different matter.

Entering the classroom, he was greeted with a few glances and a sneer from Professor Snape.

"Well, well, well. It looks like the celebrity has decided to grace us with his presence," Snape sneered, earning a few laughs from the Slytherins, "Twenty points from Gryffindor." The Potions professor glanced around the classroom and frowned when everyone was already paired up. "You'll have to work without a partner, Mr. Potter. Sit up at the front and get started on the potion on the board," he said, his eyes narrowing.

Wordlessly, Harry followed the Potions master's directions, not wanting to cause more trouble. He was rather surprised that he had to work alone though. Usually Harry was forced to partner up with Malfoy who would undoubtedly torment the boy. But Harry wasn't exactly spectacular at Potions. To make him work alone was…

Sighing, he set up his cauldron before finally glancing at the board where the potion that was supposed to be brewed was. _The Stamina Potion. _Interesting… The steps did look rather complicated. Harry gulped silently.

He moved almost automatically, heading towards the storage cupboards. He couldn't help but let a yawn escape from his mouth. He had been practicing his healing magic the other night. Madam Pomfrey had warned him that using too much at first would sap into his energies and make him rather tired, but he would slowly get used to it and soon be able to overcome it…

Harry was still running on automatic while making the potion. He knew he shouldn't have, but he couldn't seem to muster the concentration it required. Perhaps he shouldn't have practiced so much last night… He glanced at the instructions and then back at his potion to see if he did anything wrong, which he wouldn't be surprised if he didn't. He was rather surprised to see that the potion was the right colour and not spewing all sorts of odd stuff, which was a good sign. An audible gulp could be heard from Neville (who had surprisingly made it into this class) when Snape announced that in five minutes, they would have to bottle up their potion results and then they would have to drink it.

Snape made one final round of the classroom as everyone was bottling their potions, a feeling of nervousness in the air.

"Well, I am surprised. Did Mr. Potter actually decide that it was worth paying attention to the class for once?" Snape breathed down his neck, glancing at Harry's potion, which was still the right colour. Harry simply glared back at the Potion Master. "In that case, we'll have Mr. Potter be the first to test it." Harry could've sworn the potion master was laughing with evil delight behind the curtain of greasy hair. Ron and Hermione exchanged worried glances. Both knew that Harry wasn't the greatest at potions.

Under the close glare of the professor, Harry had no choice but to do as the professor said. Gathering up his Gryffindor courage, he prayed to whatever Gods out there that were listening in hopes that there was nothing wrong with the potion and that for once he got it right.

Apparently, the Gods were taking a vacation because his prayer had been left unanswered. The moment that the potion touched Harry's lips, Professor Snape knew that something was wrong.

The last thing Harry remembered before succumbing to blackness was the sight of Snape's eyes widening in slight horror.

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"I believe you have finished your analysis of Mr. Potter's potion?" the headmaster asked as Snape finally returned to the infirmary. Severus wanted to curse the stupid twinkle in the muggle-lover's eyes.

"The bloody idiot forgot to add the salamander tongues to the potion and added too many pomegranate seeds. Not only that, but he added a few extra ingredients that act will act like aphrodisiacs," Severus winced, "causing something that is similar to the Stamina Potion, but more along the lines of a lust potion."

Severus could've sworn that the twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes increased.

"And there's more, if I'm correct," the headmaster said. Snape nodded.

"The potion ingredients will cause him to exude a larger than normal amount of pheromones and at the same time it will act like a lust potion. The whole school will be after Potter the moment he sets foot out of here," Severus concluded, scowling. Oh how he wished he could curse that damn twinkle!

"I see… Well we shall have to figure something out then. You may return to teaching your classes now, Severus."

Needless to say, Snape was glad to leave the sight of that cursed twinkle.

"My, my, Harry my boy, what have you gotten yourself into?" Dumbledore mused to himself, quite amused with the situation. He glanced at the boy and chuckled when the signs of the potion coming into effect started showing. Dumbledore had a feeling the school was going to become a bit more entertaining. This wasn't such a bad thing, since the mood could use with a bit of lightening up, with the upcoming war and all. Giving Harry's still form one last glance, he left the infirmary to go back to his office. He needed to plot…

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The first thing Harry registered was that he was hot. His body felt hot all over, but not the kind of feeling you would feel when you had a fever. It felt as if there was a slight tickle feeling on the inside of him, almost an itch that he wanted to get rid of. It wasn't exactly unpleasant, but Harry got the feeling that if he didn't get rid of it soon, it would grow worse in worse as time went by. In fact, the sensations he was experience were quite similar to the sensations he got when he was having particular wet dreams…

Harry's eyes widened and he sat right up. _Oh shit._ That was his last coherent thought before he shuddered and his eyes glazed over and his body shook.

Madam Pomfrey bustled into the infirmary. "Good, you're aw—" was all she got out before she noticed Harry's state and stopped.

It wasn't the raging erection that she noticed Harry sporting that she stopped. But rather, it was the fact that Harry was looking oddly attractive. Really, really attractive. Madam Pomfrey licked her lips. Was it just her, or was it getting hotter in here?

Forgetting all sense and reason, the nurse advanced onto the poor boy. He just looked so strangely attractive, and for some reason, Madam Pomfrey couldn't help wanting to touch him. It wouldn't be so bad now would it? It was just a little touch… Yes, just a little.

Harry's eyes widened through the haze at the sight of the nurse advancing onto him, and then moments later, felt a hand run up his thigh, sending shivers of pleasure up his spine. Harry moaned. The little contact had eased the fire inside of him somewhat, but not enough. He wanted more… The fire inside him felt so hot, it was burning inside of him and it felt like he was going to explode into flames if he didn't do something about it.

But another part was watching what happening as Madam Pomfrey was worked her way up in pure horror. Mustering up his will, he forced himself to tell the nurse no, but instead of a solid voice, it came out as a breathy moan. Harry tried his best to shake the nurse off her, but he couldn't, and a part of him didn't want her to go. The contact felt _so_ good…

Harry watched in horror, unable to do anything about the current situation. He was burning and he could feel his body react in ways he didn't realize where even possible. The small boy shook, partly from horror and partly from lust.

_Shit, shit, shit. _

Harry was saved from the horrible prospect of losing his virginity to the school nurse, unwilling by Dumbledore and Snape's entrance. Without losing a second, the two managed to get Pomfrey off of Harry and tied up, the nurse glaring at both the professor and the headmaster. Harry sat there, panting, the lust in him still burning ever fierce.

"Professor Dumbledore…" Harry panted out, "…Why?" Harry paused. "Why… am I like this?" he asked.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he replied to the boy. "The potion you made the other day was quite an interesting one, m'boy. Due to a bit of carelessness which I'm sure was purely accidental (Severus scowled at this), you managed to create a very strong lust potion that also increases your pheromones, resulting in your current condition, and also the cause for Madam Pomfrey's, ah, actions."

Harry groaned.

"Fortunately for you, Professor Snape and I have taken a potion that will ward us against your increased pheromones, however the potion is quite difficult to brew and the ingredients hard to come by, which means we cannot supply the whole school with it until your potion wears off. As such, I have been making certain arrangements that I think will do for the time being. Of course, the actual makings of these arrangements won't be until a bit later when I have a meeting in my office.

"For now, how about you go take another nap. I'm sure it will be better off at the moment if you were asleep."

Harry nodded. From a pocket in his robes, Snape pulled out a vial of what Harry recognized as a Dreamless Sleep potion. Harry took it gratefully and took care not to touch the professor despite his body wanting the physical contact. Downing it in one go, Harry drifted into a dreamless sleep.

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Hermione and Ron were worried about Harry when he hadn't shown up for lunch, and now it was nearly supper time and the dark-haired boy still hadn't shown up. The two were thinking about going to the headmaster, but before they could actually make the decision to go, Professor McGonagall came and told them that Professor Dumbledore required their presence. Exchanging glances, Ron and Hermione stopped in their direction to the Great Hall and ran to the Headmaster's Office.

They were doubly surprised when they saw the Malfoy heir leaning casually next to the entrance, a bored look on his face. Ron glared at the blonde.

"What are you doing here, _Ferret_?" Ron hissed out. Malfoy's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the redhead coldly.

"I was summoned here, Weasel." Before an argument could escalate, the entrance to the office opened and Dumbledore appeared.

"Ah, good, you're all here," he said with that damned twinkle, "Please come in. I'm sure that I have news that might be… interesting." With a puzzled look on each of their faces, the three students wordlessly followed the headmaster into his office.

The office hadn't changed much from Ron and Hermione's last visits there, except for the objects on his desk had been replaced with new ones. Hermione let out a gasp when she noticed Harry sitting in a comfortable chair in the corner, his face twisted in a bit of agony and writhing about. Harry was moaning and sweating, his hair was matted and his glasses were on the verge of slipping down. And Hermione was shocked to note that Harry was bound by invisible chains.

Ron turned his head to follow Hermione's gaze and was startled to see the bulge in Harry's robes. He wasn't the only one to notice that either. It was a good thing Malfoy had a good control on his emotions, because the way Harry looked was very… _edible._ Draco gulped silently.

Dumbledore was pleased to note that Ron and Hermione didn't look affected by Harry's extra pheromones, and hence proved his theory, but that was for another time.

"Please sit," Dumbledore said, motioning towards the chairs that appeared in front of his desk.

"Sir? What's wrong with…Harry?" Hermione asked, finally voicing the three students' thoughts.

"I'm sure you're aware that Harry had an accident in potions today. The result of that accident is the current condition Harry is in.

"The potion he accidentally created is something that is much stronger than the average lust potion. Not only that, it will cause him to emit more pheromones than a person should have, causing many people to be… ah… attracted to him. Of course, this attraction has no effect on people who are already, how shall I put it, enamored with someone else; hence it has no effect on you and Mr. Weasley."

Hermione and Ron blushed. Then they shot a glance at Malfoy. Dumbledore caught the glance and looked amused.

"I do believe Mr. Malfoy is not affected due to the… ah… animosity that is between them, am I correct?" Draco's eyes narrowed and he nodded, slowly. But oh… quite the liar Draco was. He was Slytherin through and through.

"Anyway, the potion will make the drinker go into a state of lust every minute, every second of his waking moments. Contact will relieve the lust for a moment, but not much and it will come back. In fact, the lust will keep on building and building, but it won't be sated no matter what he does. After a while, the lust will become almost painful for Harry and for all the pleasure that is brought to him will be painful," the professor continued, "Unfortunately, there is no antidote to this, and Harry will simply have no choice but to wait until it disappears of its own accord," Dumbledore concluded.

"Are you saying that Harry will be walking around horny as hell, and that everyone will want to jump him but none of that will work, because no matter what, he'll still feel the same way?" Ron asked bluntly.

"Really Weasley, one would think that you would have the sense not to be so crude," Draco drawled.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Ron growled back.

"Yes, you could put it that way," the headmaster said, ignoring the little argument that just went on.

"But professor, I really don't see what Potter's stupidity has to do with myself," Malfoy said. Dumbledore smiled.

"As you can see, Harry's current condition makes him quite vulnerable. Already he has been… ah… attacked by Madam Pomfrey, in a certain fashion." Ron and Hermione's eyes widened in surprise and horror. Draco just simply raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Mr. Potter is quite aware of what he's going on right now; it's just that he has barely any control on his body, or his actions. And after the potion wears off, he will have full remembrance of what had happened. It would be awful if he had done something that he didn't want to, wouldn't you agree?

"And this is where you come in, Mr. Malfoy. I have already set up private rooms for Mr. Potter so that he won't have to worry about… distracting his roommates. However, he will still need someone to, shall we say, protect him from his fellow classmates during classes, for indeed they will want to do things to him."

"Wait! I don't see why I can't do that! Harry's my best friend!" Ron suddenly said.

Dumbledore smiled. "Yes, but you will be quite busy enough as it is. Am I right Miss Granger?" Hermione blushed, getting Dumbledore's point. "As it is, Draco is just right for the task since their animosity will keep both of them from doing something that they will regret and Draco is quite advanced in studies."

"But what about my prefect duties and my projects? I can't leave all of those! I refuse to, not for Potter, not for you… I refuse! I could care less if Potter is jumped!" Draco cried out, a hint of panic in his voice.

"I'm afraid your refusal is out of the option, Mr. Malfoy. I'm sure you will have time for your projects, and as for your prefect duties, I'm sure we can work something out so that you'll have a lighter duty –"

"But sir! You can't leave Harry with Malfoy! It's Malfoy! His dad – Lucius – You know what he is!" Ron exclaimed.

"What? A Death Eater? Please Weasley, you are very well behind the times. Doesn't your father ever tell you anything?" Draco sneered.

"Lucius Malfoy has renounced the Dark Side, Mr. Weasley. He has been working as a spy for the Order for quite a while now," Dumbledore said. Ron was left gaping like a fish.

"You can't possibly believe him! –"

"Now that's enough. The matter is final. Mr. Malfoy your belongings have been placed into the new rooms, you will be sharing a suite with Mr. Potter. And as for Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley, I do hope that you will be helpful towards Harry. It would be best however, if people tried to have contact with Harry as little as possible. So I'm afraid aside from classes, you will have to keep your contact at a minimum."

Ron was livid at this.

"I do believe both of you are missing dinner. Run along now, and please try to repeat as little of this as much as possible. I daresay that people will learn about Harry's conditions soon enough." Ron and Hermione nodded and with a farewell to Harry, they left, albeit reluctantly.

Dumbledore released the binds that bound Harry and Harry bounded up, rushing towards Malfoy before a bit of sheer will stopped him for grabbing the blond. Harry was damned if he did anything to Malfoy – of all people! Dumbledore merely smiled.

"Touch me and die, Potter," Malfoy muttered. Harry glared through the haze of his lust filled eyes.

"Come along, you two." The two boys followed the headmaster out of the office and down a few corridors and flights of stairs before arriving in front of painting of a reclining female who turned out to be a vampire. Saying the word "Aphrodite" loud enough for the two boys to hear, the painting swung open and Dumbledore walked in through the revealed opening, Harry and Draco following.

Inside revealed a small common room with a long couch and a matching loveseat arranged around the fire place. There was a table on the opposite side with two chairs. The table was just big enough for them to have a meal or to do their homework. The whole room was decorated in black and silver. The woodwork was all done in ebony.

To their left was a short hallway leading to three doors. One of those doors was the entrance to a small bathroom that was decorated in light blues and whites. Finally the last two doors were the entrances to bedrooms. One of them was obviously Draco's since it was decorated in silver and green while the other was Harry's due to the red and gold of Gryffindor.

"I think I will leave you to get settled in, boys," Dumbledore said. "And Harry, there is a vial of Dreamless Sleep potion next to your bed on the nightstand should you need it. For a meal just wave your wand above the dining table in the common room and it will be brought to you. Oh and you're excused from your lessons in the next three days. I'll have your friends bring up your homework," And with that the headmaster left, leaving Harry and Draco alone.

Draco glanced at the sweating boy warily. He was sweating and panting heavily, even though he hadn't even gone through any exercise whatsoever. Draco wrinkled his nose.

"Really Potter, one would think that you enjoy getting yourself into messy situations like this," he drawled.

"Shut up Malfoy," was the heated reply.

"Ooh… Is the icky little Potter going to make me?"

Harry simply closed his eyes, concentrating on _not_ jumping on Malfoy. It was not something he wanted to do and it was simply the potion making him feel these things. Not himself.

"I will not jump Malfoy… I will not jump Malfoy… I will absolutely _not_ jump _Malfoy!_" the dark-haired boy muttered to himself. Draco heard this and smirked.

"Why Potter… I always knew you had a thing for guys, but I didn't realize it would be me of all people!" the blonde sneered, "But then again, I am rather sexy, if I do say so myself."

Harry rolled his lust-filled eyes. "Shove it Malfoy. Has anyone ever told you that you're an arrogant, vain prick?"

"Only those who are tasteless, Pothead."

"Really Malfoy, it would seem that you're the one who's really gay here," Harry snorted out. Then as if his lips were parched, he licked them and Draco found himself resisting looking at Harry's red, red lips. Had they always been like that? Draco shook his head mentally. _Get a grip on yourself, Draco!_

He turned away from the smaller boy in hopes that he would be able to resist all the things Harry did… God, did the boy know what he looked like! He looked fucking _edible._ Draco let out a soft moan.

"Shut up and just go eat something and take that damn potion. Your presence is unbearable," Malfoy simply replied as he headed towards what was his room. Harry simply shrugged the best that he could and decided to follow Malfoy's advice, even though it came from Malfoy himself. It _was_ reasonable after all.

Concentrating really hard on ignoring the lust that he was experiencing, Harry reached for his wand and waved it over the dining table. Sure enough, a meal appeared and it looked like the school was having ham and chicken pie. At least here was something that Harry enjoyed in this whole mess… If only he could get rid of that burning feeling – it was starting to feel quite unpleasant.

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Behind the closed door, Draco Malfoy leaned against it for support. He found that his legs couldn't support him. He didn't know whether to laugh ironically or cry. But in the end, he laughed because Malfoys don't cry.

_By Merlin's beard…What the hell is that bloody muggle-loving old coot think he's doing? _Malfoy thought half-amused, half in desperation. The last place that Dumbledore should've placed Potter in was with Malfoy… It was difficult not jumping the boy as it was, but now this? Malfoy wanted to laugh. _I swear that old coot is punishing me for some awful deed or so…_

Draco bit his lip. What the hell was he going to do? How the hell was he going to survive this whole ordeal with his sanity – and libido – intact? May the Gods help him! Because controlling himself was going to be so much harder now… Now that Harry would beg him to just touch him, would beg him to do things to his body that Draco had only _fantasized_ about doing… But in the end, the dark-haired boy would recover and if that had happened, well, Draco had no possible chance of ever becoming close to the boy. Harry would hate him more than he already did, and the boy would feel dirty. Not only that, Draco would hate himself for using Harry while he was in this condition.

Contrary to what most people thought, Draco did have _some_ dignity. And true to popular thought, Draco did have quite a few romps between the sheets in the past, and not only that, but sometimes he'd string along more than a few partners at a time, but ever since he realized just how he felt about a certain Gryffindor, he had stopped all that. In fact, he had felt disgusted about himself just thinking about it…

Draco groaned at himself. _Stupid Potter… _Of all the people that he had to actually have real feelings for, it had to be Potter, the only person who couldn't have. It was terrible, awful. Draco felt pathetic, a feeling that he never felt before, nor did he enjoy.

If only he had a chance with Potter… to actually change things. Now that his father had switched sides, Malfoy would have a better chance, could actually pursue a relationship such as the one he wanted.

If only Potter could ever return his feelings… Malfoy snorted.

_Right… And the Dark Lord wears bunny boxers. Keep dreaming Draco, just keep dreaming._

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_Whew! A long chapter this time… 13 pages, the longest I've ever written before. Hope everyone enjoyed it. Please review!_


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